7 years later, Guyana struggling with basics for oil and gas sector

Nov 23, 2021 News

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…as migration crisis looms — Ramkarran

Kaieteur News – Guyana discovered hydrocarbons—oil and gas in commercial quantities, back in 2015 at the time the Coalition Administration was being sworn into power, with production beginning in 2019, a national development that the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) administration was hardly prepared for.Having lost office to the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) in 2020, the incumbent administration is now proving that it too is still struggling with basic issues, with another potential looming crisis on the horizon being the issue of migrants, expatriates, naturalised Guyanese and a policy dealing with the phenomenon.

The matter was raised over the weekend by Senior Counsel, Ralph Ramkarran, in an article on his Conversationtree.gy online blog, where he addressed the issue in light of the fact that during a recent trip to Ghana, Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, said that Guyana, with its small population and limited labour force, would reach full employment soon, and that Guyana would have to consider an active immigration policy.
Lapses
According to Ramkarran, a former Speaker of the National Assembly, “It is clear that since that time (discovery), the APNU+AFC Government hardly prepared for the tasks ahead and the PPP/C Government is still struggling with basic issues.”
He cited as example, the fact that the legislation for the Natural Resources Fund (NRF) is not yet complete and that the Petroleum Commission has not been appointed.
Additionally, Ramkarran highlighted that important tasks, such as the appointment of auditors to verify the expenses of Exxon have not been accomplished.
Conceding, “…capacity in Guyana is very limited, including at the highest level of Government,” Ramkarran is adamant nonetheless, “this needs to be quickly remedied.”
Elaborating on the impending migration and labour dilemma, Ramkarran said, “…if I could have predicted more than five years (ago) that an immigration policy would have to be determined, then others in government, or preparing to enter government, must have envisaged the same need.

As such, he was unwavering in his adumbration, if a governmental team has not yet been established to consider immigration policy, “then we are in bad shape; “but I would not be surprised if no such team has been established, having regard to the fact that the more urgent issue of auditing Exxon’s expenses has been allowed to lapse.”
Refugees
Ramkarran in his public missive recalled that in August 2016, several months after the discovery of oil in Guyana, he had penned an article captioned, ‘Guyana’s future as an oil producer’ where he contended, “if we are serious about progress, an immigration policy would have to be determined and systems put in place for its implementation.”
The senior counsel has since observed that in recent years, Guyana has welcomed Brazilians, Chinese and a smaller number of Indians. Emigration from these countries, he said, would increase and Guyana would begin to welcome emigrants from CARICOM and other countries and that the Guyanese people need to be prepared for these developments.
More recently, Guyana has welcomed a sizeable number of economic refugees from Venezuela. As such, Ramkarran observed that Vice President Jagdeo’s utterances regarding the importation of labour, “did not say anything that would not have been known by anyone knowledgeable about recent developments.”
As such, he posits that such a position being espoused from a leading member of the Government has caused political figures to already speculate on where the immigrants are going to come from.
“This, of course, relates to the potential political implications of large-scale immigration having regard to Guyana’s ethno-political equation.”
The legal luminary was of the view, there are several issues regarding immigration, including determining what categories of labour that Guyana would need, such as unskilled, skilled and professional.
“Although it would be difficult at this stage to assess numbers, the history of immigration in Middle East countries can be looked to for guidance.”
Plan & Prepare
Additionally, Ramkarran suggested that the next issue would be the policies that would be applied to immigrants and pointed out that in many Middle East cou

ntries, citizenship is not granted to persons employed under contracts from other countries.
“The stated reason is to preserve the country’s integrity, political stability and wealth for its citizens. But many negative connotations have been attributed to these policies.”
Additionally, Ramkarran said too, there would be a need to examine the applicable laws to ascertain what amendments should be made. He cited as example, there is no status of permanent residence.
With regards, foreigners not on vacation, residence is based on the grant of work permits; the right of residence expires on the expiration of work permits, which are granted at the discretion of the Ministry of Home Affairs and are not backed by any legislation.
In Guyana, work permits are usually issued for one year or less and, according to Ramkarran, the laws that would need to be updated and upgraded, including the Constitution, the Citizenship Act, the Immigration Act and the Aliens (Immigration and Registration Act).
Guyana’s Constitution, he opined, is liberal as it relates to citizenship, in that any person lawfully residing in Guyana for five years can apply for citizenship.
Any person married to a citizen is entitled to citizenship. Children born to parents, one of whom is a citizen, are eligible for citizenship, wherever they may reside. These laws exist in many countries.
He noted, however, in developed countries, which attract immigrants, there are rigid laws which restrict the admission of immigrants and that they generally admit only skilled persons and sponsored family members. However, they are generally entitled to citizenship after a period, usually in the vicinity of five years.
Middle East countries, with oil and/or gas wealth, or are otherwise highly developed, have immigrant populations that are many times the size of their Indigenous populations, according to Ramkarran. He pointed out that many of these do not offer citizenship to their immigrant populations.
“These populations cannot vote or access social benefits or bring their families. Guyana will have to decide what approach to take in relation to immigrants, especially since the speculation is that Guyana will eventually require twice the size of its population, and this can only come from immigration.”
To this end, Ramkarran, former Speaker of the National Assembly and Founder Member of A New and United Guyana, is of the view that, “unless a regime of contract workers and professionals, without the right of citizenship, is established, difficult political questions will arise; the only way to resolve these difficult issues is to start the planning and preparation now.”

 

 

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